Rapid microwave fixation of rat brain.

A new microwave device which inactivates brain enzymes rapidly and uniformly is described. From the results obtained with microwave irradiation at two power levels (0.8 kW and 4.5 kW), it has been demonstrated that the high power microwave irradiation has several advantages over the low power irradiation. In its application to neurochemical studies, significant increase in the DOPAC level was found in the irradiated brain, while there were no statistical differences in the levels of NE, DA, 5-HT and 5-HIAA between microwave irradiation and decapitation. Significant increase in the Ach level and marked reduction of the choline level were observed after microwave irradiation. There were no significant differences in the level of cyclic GMP in the brain between the two methods of sacrifice, while significant reduction of the cyclic AMP level was observed in the irradiated brain.